H1N1 vaccine to be available at Rs 80-100 per dose by April

Domestically developed swine flu vaccines will be available in the country by April-end this year for Rs 80-100 per dose, a senior health official said on Tuesday.

"We have given permission to four Indian companies to conduct clinical trials for developing influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines in the country and if every thing goes well, domestically produced vaccines will be available by the end of April this year," the Drug Controller General of India Surinder Singh told PTI.

He said, out of the four companies, Zydus Cadila is leading the race as the company has already started the phase-I trials in January this year and remaining three companies Serum Institute, Panacea and Bharat Biotech are yet to begin their trials.

Phase I trials are the first human exposure to the new compound and are done to find out whether the compound is safe for the human body.

When asked about the prices at which the vaccines would be available in the country, he said," I don't know the exact price but it should be available in the domestic market for around Rs 80-100 per dose."

Speaking about the imported vaccines, which the health ministry is procuring from French drug major Sanofi-Pasteur, he said, Sanofi is going to initiate clinical trials in the country from Wednesday and the vaccine would be available from the mid-February.

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